A Landscape in Transitions: Guletta, a Multiperiod Settlement along the Mazaro River in Western Sicily

Author(s)
Christopher Sevara, Roderick B. Salisbury, Michael Doneus, Erich Draganits, Ralf Totschnig, Cipriano Antonino Frazetta, Sebastiano Tusa
Abstract

The Prospecting Boundaries project explores the Mazaro river corridor from a landscape archaeological perspective, using integrated prospection techniques to recover traces of past human activity and environmental contexts. One key research area is Guletta, a zone of dense multiperiod activity situated on the rocky plain above the river. In this paper, we detail results from recent work at Guletta, which has revealed numerous previously undocumented archaeological settlement features that appear to have been built in successive phases. Artifact analysis from corresponding surface survey indicates a mixture of locally produced and imported materials dating from the Middle Bronze to Archaic periods. Using these new results together with existing archaeological and environmental information, we present an initial interpretation of the occupation sequence of the settlement and explore the concept of Guletta as a connecting point between emerging indigenous, colonial, coastal, and interior interdependencies and interests in later pre- and protohistory.

Organisation(s)
Department of Prehistoric and Historical Archaeology, Department of Geology
External organisation(s)
Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (ÖAW), ZAMG, Università degli studi di Napoli Federico II
Journal
Journal of Field Archaeology
Volume
45
Pages
334-354
No. of pages
21
ISSN
0093-4690
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/00934690.2020.1734898
Publication date
07-2020
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
105126 Applied geophysics, 601003 Archaeology, 601024 Archaeological prospection
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Archaeology, Archaeology
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/a-landscape-in-transitions-guletta-a-multiperiod-settlement-along-the-mazaro-river-in-western-sicily(78abdad0-4eea-4381-8c69-b83ce540113f).html